Modelling landscapes for games (RPGs and 3rd/ 1st person shooters /adventure) is somwhat special. Such a landscape should mostly consist of plain plateaus, connected by slopes, but should look natural. the surface should also be in one piece and it should be possible to use a plain Y-texture (I dont care if the texture looks a little bit stretched on slopes, caves, etc. can be added later).

This sounds like an easy task, but I feel it isn't. In particular, the creation of the slopes / ways (to connect the plateaus) is somewhat difficult.

Any ideas how to create such a landscape? When I start with a high poly mesh, I can create nice hills with magnet / dragnet, but plateaus and slopes are not that easy. Starting with a low poly mesh, with increasing subdivisions gives nice results, too, but the shape of the landscape is not so easy to control.

Any ideas how to create such a landscape?

Thanks in advance.

Lamont

03-13-2006, 04:07 PM

To make landscapes I use height maps to get the general shape. Then I go in and subdivide the area's I want more detail at. I try to generalize a lot of the structure so I can reuse as much as possible.

Dirk

03-14-2006, 03:10 AM

height maps? That's an interesting idea, I'll give it a try - thanks. I was trying a modelling process in which I smooth the whole landscape incrementally. This gives nice results, but is hard to control...

Lamont

03-14-2006, 09:34 AM

I only use height maps because it's what I started out with from my days of working on flight sims.

Dirk

03-15-2006, 03:12 PM

I've tried height maps, this is a good way to create a shape for something like a jump'n run, since it's possible to "plan" the shape of the landscape in photoshop, and re-shape easily when the landscape doesn't work in the game (too wide gaps, etc.).